Unforgivable
by AwakeArise
Summary: SPOILERS. Lucas is back and Skye is in the same position as before. Skye/Lucas
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! I am totally and completely in love with Terra Nova, mainly because of Lucas Taylor. There is something so crazy and insane and hot about him, and I know many of you agree. I'm new here so I am going to make lots of mistakes, be prepared. This is just a little story I've been thinking of and wanted to get down. It will definitely be Skye/Lucas later, and the mature rating will be appropriate, but we have to work up to the romance!

I'd love your feedback if you have time to leave some.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or anything that belongs to the television show, Terra Nova.

Skye walked quickly through the crisp night air as she searched for her new exit point. When she had been caught as the spy for the Sixers, she had to find a new spot along the walls to crawl under. It had taken a while, at least a week, but finally she found a spot even better than her last one. She didn't go OTG much anymore, she hadn't really had the need to now, but it was comforting to know that she had the option to leave Terra Nova. Commander Taylor was keeping a close watch on all the colonists now, though, since the Phoenix group was still a danger. He warned them against leaving the colony; here they were safe and protected, but out there they could be easily ambushed.

Skye didn't know why she was sneaking out. She had just felt overwhelmed the past week and needed to escape; she needed to go somewhere where she didn't have to see another human being. She wanted to go somewhere where she could close her eyes and finally relax. Strange that that place was full of carnivorous dinosaurs and vengeful soldiers.

She found the spot and slipped under it silently, watching for any passerbys or guards. After she made sure she wasn't being watched, she ran as quickly and as quietly as she could to the cover of the dense rainforest. She felt freer than she had been for days as the lights of the colony faded behind her.

She continued her quick pace until she had reached a tiny clearing in the jungle, a place she had cleared a few years ago to come out and think. She hadn't told any of her friends about it, so she was positive no one would find her there. Since it was night, sitting on the ground wasn't an option, due to all the night creatures, so she climbed the tree until she was high enough to see the sky and the millions of stars. She couldn't remember much of her past home, the future—she was pretty young when they came to Terra Nova. But she knew the sky had never looked so beautiful there.

She sighed with content. Finally she could think about everything that had happened the past weeks. The invasion, the fighting, the rebellion, restoring the colony, shooting Lucas…she knew it had to be done, _all_ of it, but it was so difficult. It had taken such a toll on her she felt exhausted all the time.

When she had looked over and saw that Lucas' body was no longer there, she felt scared and relieved at the same time. He isn't dead, he isn't dead, he isn't dead, just kept repeating in her head over and over. She wanted him to be dead and wanted him to live at the same time. It confused her to the point that she couldn't bear it. She knew the commander felt the exact same way, but they hadn't talked about the event. She was pretty sure he hadn't told anyone, and she hadn't either. Josh had asked her about Lucas repeatedly. He wanted to know what she had done to save his life and Skye told him nothing, that Lucas was just taunting him, but it was a lie. She remembered the incident very clearly and it gave her shivers.

"_Lucas, don't hurt him," she pleaded as she pushed past the guard and entered Commander Taylor's hut. _

_Lucas was leaning against one of the rails, looking over his new territory, as he held a bag of ice against his head. _

"_The bastard hit me," Lucas said darkly. "That cannot go unpunished. He will pay for what he did."_

_Tears came to Skye's eyes, "I'll offer you a trade then." _

_Lucas stood up and turned around until his body was facing her. _

"_What his did was pretty unforgivable, I don't know if anything you could offer would be a fair trade, dear sister."_

"_I'll give you anything, Lucas!" she cried. "Just tell me what you want!" _

_ Lucas sauntered to her, his jade eyes glowing as they reflected the moon's light. They were dark and hungry as he looked upon her and said, "Anything?"_

_ She didn't say anything, just crossed her arms in front of her body uncomfortably. She knew what he would ask of her and she knew she would have to give in. Lucas intended to kill Josh, she was sure of it. He saw the way she looked at Josh and he didn't like it. _

_ Lucas ran a finger along Skye's jaw line and leaned in very close to her face._

_ "Anything?" he said again, his voice husky and deep. His breath was against her ear and she shivered slightly. _

_ "Anything," she said, her voice as weak and shaky as her legs. _

_ She felt his lips against her ear as he snaked an arm around her waist, roughly pulling her hips against his. She gasped. _

_He nipped at her earlobe with his teeth before trailing his lips along the same path as his fingers had travelled. She put one hand against his shoulder involuntarily, but restrained herself from pushing him away. _

_ "This isn't the time or place," he whispered, his lips daringly close to hers. "But I won't forget."_

_ "We have a deal?" she asked as he pulled his hand away, letting it slide from her back to her hip as he drew it back. _

_ "Yes," he said seriously. "We have a trade." _

Thankfully he hadn't had the chance to collect on his part of the trade. She didn't know what she would have been able to do if he tried.

She leaned back against the smooth trunk of the tall tree and cleared her head of the disturbing memory. She considered sleeping out here, but she knew her roommates would be worried if she wasn't home in the morning. Besides, she had to visit her mother in the morning. Her mother was healing very slowly; the fever had taken a great toll, especially on her muscles and bones, so the doctors said it would take a long time for her to heal. Skye wondered what they would do when she was released from the medical center. Would they live together again? Skye loved her mother, more than she could ever say, but she was nearly a grown woman now. Then again, she didn't want to leave her mother to fend for herself. It was the least she could do to live with her.

Skye sighed. There were so many questions, ones that she didn't have answers to. But she didn't have time to work through them all then. She climbed down the tree reluctantly and dropped back down to the ground with a thump. She looked around the small clearing to make sure no creatures were planning to surprise her. She had a gun to protect her, one she had snatched when she was sneaking intel to the Sixers, but she was still reluctant to run into a Slasher or a Carno by herself. Her eyes caught something at the base of the tree that she hadn't noticed when she had jumped down. She gasped as she realized what it was: a bucket.

She looked frantically around the clearing and into the jungle. She couldn't see anyone near, since it was incredibly dark under the canopy, but she could almost feel eyes on her. Green eyes.

Inside the bucket was a piece of torn paper. On one side was mathematical drawings and equations, something that looked like it was part of a much larger piece, but on the other side were words:

_**I'm still here, bucket. See you soon.**_


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, thanks for all the reviews! You have no idea how happy I am to see all the emails for tracking the story and comments. I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday, regardless of what you celebrate-I know I have!

Anyway, let's get on with the story...

Skye was lying in her bed in the house she shared with her roommates. Hunter had stopped in her room a few hours ago to check on her and she told him she was sick. Another lie.

She pulled out the slip of paper from underneath her pillow; she didn't know why she kept it—every time she read it her heart skipped with terror—but she couldn't bring herself to throw it away. It was a piece of solid evidence that she hadn't killed him. How he survived was beyond her, but then she remembered the scars along the back of his neck: Lucas Taylor could take care of himself.

She had left the bucket at the base of the tree, feeling no need to take it home with her. She didn't kick it or throw it into the trees; she didn't scream or run away; she just put the note in her pocket, looked around into the night once more, and set off back to the colony. She was terrified of him, yes, but she didn't want to give him the pleasure of knowing he scared her.

There was a knock at the door. Since no one else was home it was up to Skye to answer it.

"Just a second," she called out as she placed the note back under her pillow. She didn't want to have to explain to anybody what it was about, not even Commander Taylor.

She opened the door to find Josh on the other side.

"Hey," he said, putting his hands into his jeans pockets and rolling back on his feet slightly. "Hunter said you weren't feeling well. It isn't a parasite, is it?"

She grinned, "Nah, parasites only feed on hormonal teenage boys."

"Whew," he said, running a hand over his forehead dramatically. "I'm safe then."

Skye hit him playfully on his shoulder.

"Want some company?" Josh asked, his eyes hopeful.

Skye knew he was grieving over his girlfriend, that he was the one that really needed the company, but she couldn't bring herself to comfort him. She cared for him still, and she really did want to help him, but she had her own problems she needed to deal with first.

"I don't want to get you sick," she said as kindly as she could.

Josh's face fell a little and Skye immediately felt awful for turning him down.

"How about tonight?" she suggested. "I just need to rest up a bit today first."

"Sure," he said immediately, his eyes lighting up again. "Just nothing with fruts."

She smiled and shut the door, leaning against it and putting her head in her hands. She had feelings for Josh—she thought he was cute and sweet, if maybe a little quiet and boring at times—but right then those feelings seemed so tiny in comparison to everything else happening. She really didn't want to go hang out with him that evening, but she knew she had to if she wanted to keep their friendship. Besides, he really needed her, and she couldn't just ignore that.

She stood up straight with a new vigor, "I'm not just going to hide like a coward…"

She changed into some hiking clothes and packed a backpack with water and food and a sonic pistol. She also grabbed the piece of paper under her pillow and tucked it into her pocket.

She managed to make her way to her spot along the gate without having to stop and talk to anyone. Like the previous night, she slipped under the gate and ran for the protection of the trees, but today she had a different purpose completely. Instead of escaping her problems like the previous night, she was going to face them.

She knew Lucas would be watching the clearing she frequented in case she returned so she made her way directly there. The bucket was still there, except today it was filled with flowers of different colors and shapes.

"Lucas!" she shouted as loud as she could. She wasn't worried if any creatures or military personnel would hear her.

After a few minutes she was starting to fidget. Maybe he was off hunting or doing whatever crazy bastards did in their free time.

She took a deep breath and shouted again, "Lucas!"

"No need to scream," came a voice behind her. She spun around to face the man she had been dreading to see for a week now. She didn't know how he managed to sneak up on her without making a sound, but she didn't care.

She grabbed the note from her pocket and threw it at him, "Stop following me."

Her voice was strong and angry, just how she wanted.

"Ah, bucket," he said, grounding one of his feet into the ground. "It's so nice to see you too."

"I'm not joking," Skye said angrily. "Leave me alone or I will tell Commander Taylor."

He grinned, but she could see the unease under it.

"Running to daddy, dear sister?" he asked. It was the first time he had addressed her as his sister in a while. She hadn't missed it; they both knew he didn't have sisterly feelings towards her.

"Yeah," she snarled. "I will run to _your_ dad and he will kill you."

Lucas took another step towards her and she notice a tiny grimace of pain on his face—apparently his wounds were still bothering him. She examined his chest for blood or bandages: nothing.

Lucas noticed her gaze, "I have to say, you really hurt my feelings."

He said it in a carefree voice, like he was just playing with her, but Skye could tell it was the truth. He had been hurt by her betrayal and he was angry with her.

"Damn," she gave him a twisted smile. "I didn't mean to offend you, brother."

His expression darkened.

"Don't forget, I can still—" he started to warn.

"You can still what?" Skye asked. "There is nothing you can do now, Lucas. You are done. You are weak. You are powerless."

He stormed towards her, favoring his right side, but stopped dead when she pulled out the gun from the back of her pants.

"Let's get this straight," she told him. "You leave me alone, you don't follow me, and you go somewhere far away from Terra Nova. Got it?"

He eyed the sonic pistol warily.

"Could you really shoot me again, Skye?" he asked softly. He sounded so vulnerable in those words that she faltered and the gun dropped a little. He took advantage of her weakness and shot forward, grabbing the pistol and yanked Skye around until her back was pressed against his chest. She struggled and tried to break his hold on her, but he was still stronger than her.

He pressed the gun against her side and murmured into her ear, "I've missed you, bucket."

He rubbed his cheek against her hair and she could feel the low groan in his chest.

"It is hard being alone all the time," he said wistfully.

"That's because you're a sick bastard," she snarled, her eyes darting around the clearing to find something that would help her get away from him.

He tightened his hold on her, making it difficult for her to breathe.

"You still owe me, remember?" he said, the gun travelling down to her hip slowly.

Skye's heart sunk. She should have never come out here; it was cocky and completely stupid. Why did she always think she was invincible?

"I have some terras," she said. "Will those do?"

He ignored her, "Are you dating the Shannon boy?"

"No," she said shortly.

"But you want to. I've seen the way you look at him."

"Josh is my friend," she said. "Something you wouldn't understand."

"And what are we, bucket?" he asked, brushing her face with his hand that still held the pistol.

"Fucked up," she said immediately.

He laughed heartily, which quickly changed to a deep, painful sounding cough.

"Those wounds aren't healing very quickly, are they?" Skye pointed out with a savage pleasure.

"You shot me, bucket," he said, his voice much weaker. If Skye was going to escape from him, her chance would be coming soon. "And now you need to help me get better."

"Like hell I am," she protested, nearly laughing. "There is nothing you could do to make me heal you."

"Do you really think my employers didn't plant spies within Terra Nova?" he asked. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small device.

"It's a comm, so what?" she said.

"Does the Shannon girl have her wedding all planned out yet?" he asked in a poisonous voice.

Skye took a quick breath. He did have spies in the Terra Nova camp; she needed to get to Commander Taylor as fast as possible. Though explaining how she knew would be difficult.

"These aren't just moles like you, though," Lucas continued. "They are trained soldiers. They have orders to follow any direction I give them."

Skye could tell he was going somewhere dangerous.

"So, if I told them to shoot someone in the market some morning, like Josh Shannon for example, they'd do it for me."

"What do you want?" Skye asked fearfully.

She could feel his lips pull up in a smile.

"I knew you'd help me, bucket," he said.

Skye felt sickened. She couldn't do the spying thing again—she'd go straight to Commander Taylor and he would know what to do. He'd help her.

"I need some medical supplies to clean and disinfect my wounds," he said. "And I need an extractor. One of the bullets is lodged in my chest and I am having difficulties getting it out."

Skye almost winced at the idea of having to dig out a bullet from your own chest.

"That won't be easy to get," she said with a sinking feeling.

"I'm sure you'll manage," he assured her. "Or I'll shoot your boyfriend."

He pushed her away harshly, pointing the gun at her. Skye stumbled a little over some dried vines and looked at him cautiously.

"Hurry up, please," he said derisively. "If you aren't back by tomorrow morning, well...I guess you can guess."

She turned around to run back to camp when he yelled on last thing at her.

"If you tell the Commander, the boy is dead!"

Tears streamed down her face as she ran back. She was back in the same position as with her mother: she was going to help an enemy in exchange for the life of someone she loved. Would she confess to the Commander or help his son?


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **Hello lovely readers! I know this story is a little slow to start, especially with the Lucas/Skye romance (let me tell you, I _really_ want to get to the good stuff already!), but hopefully the next few chapters will pick up a little bit.

I really appreciate all the wonderful reviews! Keep 'em coming, please! And I like feedback of any kind; are the characters OOC? not enough plot? do I need to have Lucas strip down completely naked? etc. Just no flames, purty please.

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><p>She made up her mind to go directly to the Commander and tell him what Lucas was asking her to do. He would know how to help her and how to find his son's spies. She slipped under the gate and made her way to the Commander's hut, ignoring people greeting her or trying to catch her attention. She was so determined in her mission that she nearly collided with a woman right in front of the hut.<p>

"So sorry," she said, flustered. She bent to help the woman pick up some fruit she was carrying home in a bag.

The woman bent down to help her, "It's ok. Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Skye was about to answer her when she noticed a gun lying on the ground along with the fruit. She looked up at the woman again. It wasn't exactly uncommon for civilians to have weapons, but it was strange to carry it with oneself to the market.

"What's wrong, bucket?" the woman asked innocently.

Skye gulped; Lucas really was watching her. She knew if she tried to warn the commander, they would do something terrible, to her or the Commander or to Josh, as Lucas had threatened.

"If he already has people stationed here," Skye said. "Why does he want me to get the medicine?"

The woman didn't play stupid or innocent.

"We have orders to stay here," she said brusquely. "We aren't allowed to leave the colony unless we receive validated orders. And no one has told us to give supplies to Lucas Taylor."

"So you would just let him die out there?" Skye asked, confused. He was the one that managed to make the portal work both ways; he was their leader in Terra Nova; could they really abandon him so easily?

"Our employers aren't pleased with his failure," she said with an evil grin. "They think we can find someone else to do the math."

Skye couldn't believe she could label what Lucas had done as mere math; it was genius, pure and simple. Then again, she didn't know hardly anything about physics or science or mathematics, so maybe she was just illiterate on the subject.

"But you still take orders from him?" Skye asked with a frown. They wouldn't take him medicine to save his life, but they'd still do his bidding?

"To a certain extent, yes," the woman answered.

"So if I say anything to Commander Taylor, you'll shoot Josh?" Skye asked.

The woman nodded, "Yes. We have set up many microphones and surveillance throughout the colony—if you say anything about Lucas to anyone, the Shannon boy will be killed."

Skye stood up suddenly, leaving the woman to pick up the rest of her wares by herself.

"Better run along, little girl," the woman said as she stood up slowly as well. Skye could tell by her strong stance that she was a soldier, just dressed as a commoner. "Lucas doesn't like to wait."

Skye stormed away from the hut with tears in her eyes. What was she going to do? She didn't know if the woman was lying about surveillance, but she wasn't willing to test them. The eleventh pilgrimage had already surprised them all once, she didn't doubt they could do it again.

She went directly to the medical center. Many didn't pay attention to her, so often was she there working or bringing in friends with injuries.

"Skye," Dr. Shannon called to her when she spotted her. "You're not scheduled until tomorrow, right?"

Skye nodded, her stomach doing a flip; the scenario was almost identical to just a few weeks ago.

"I think I left my bracelet," she lied to the doctor. "I'm just going to check my locker."

"Josh said you weren't feeling well today," Dr. Shannon said.

Skye internally cursed the boy. Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut sometimes?

"Yeah," she said, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "I was sick this morning, but I'm feeling better now. Josh and I are going to hang out tonight, I think."

The woman smiled widely. Skye knew that Josh's mom wanted her and Josh to date, despite Skye's disloyalty to the colony. Dr. Shannon probably knew that Josh really needed a friend to talk to since his girlfriend had been killed.

"Why don't you stop by for dinner tonight?" Dr. Shannon offered kindly.

"Sure, that sounds great," Skye said, slipping into the locker room with a small wave to the doctor.

She opened her locker and pretended to search inside it in case anyone happened to come in. When she was certain Dr. Shannon would have moved on, she slipped back out and went to one of the many cabinets full of supplies. She grabbed the necessary equipment, being careful to hide it in her purse while no one was looking. She didn't know where she would be able to find an extractor, though. She knew Dr. Shannon would have access to one, but Skye herself didn't. She went back into the locker room and grabbed her uniform, having a plan in mind.

She went up to one of the orderlies at the desk.

"Maria," she said in a friendly voice. "Dr. Potter asked me to fetch him the extractor, but I can't find it in any of the supplies cabinets?"

"It should be in the access-only closet," Maria said in a bored voice. She was only a few years older than Skye and didn't really enjoy her job.

"Can I get in there with my card?" Skye asked.

Maria held out her hand, saying, "Give it here."

Skye gave her the card and Maria ran it over a scanner lazily.

"There you go," she said. "It should work now."

"Thanks so much, Maria."

Skye dashed off to the supplies cabinet that only upper level employees were able to use. She was surprised that Maria gave her access so quickly and without question, but maybe Maria didn't have any reason to suspect Skye. Commander Taylor was nice enough not to tell anyone about what Skye had done.

She swiped her card over the scanner and watched as a green light flashed, indicating she could go in. Inside there were a couple of nurses and doctors, grabbing technology and medicines they needed. She spotted a row of extractors, at least ten, and grabbed one. At least she wouldn't be taking the only one, leaving Terra Nova without one.

She went back to her locker and changed out of her uniform, putting the extractor in her purse with the other supplies. It was the middle of the afternoon now and she could probably make it out to her clearing and back before she had to meet at the Shannon house for dinner. She really didn't want to risk bringing the supplies late and getting someone killed.

She was pretty exhausted as she ran through the jungle for the third time that day. She was fairly fit and accustomed to hard work, but she didn't normally make two trips OTG in one day, much less running both ways.

She skidded to a halt in the clearing and threw her purse down on the ground. She knew Lucas would be somewhere watching and waiting.

"No one followed me," she said in a painful wheeze, looking around the clearing.

There was a rustle in the tree she had climbed the previous night and she looked up to see Lucas slowly lowering himself with one arm. She had the gun in his weakened arm.

"That was pretty fast, bucket," he said, sounding pretty out of breath himself. "I'm impressed."

"You have your stuff, now let me go," Skye said.

"Not that fast," Lucas said. "I need your help."

Skye put her hands on her hips, "With what?"

Lucas motioned to his chest area, "I can't clean them myself."

Skye stomped over to him, grabbing her purse.

"Take your shirt off," she ordered him, angrily grabbing the disinfectant from the bag.

He started to gingerly peel it away, hissing through his teeth as he raised his right arm. Skye grew impatient and helped him pull it off. He grunted in pain when she yanked it. She didn't feel bad.

"It kind of hurts," he said irritably.

"Get over it," she said, examining the two wounds. The first one was right at the top of his shoulder, probably breaking his collarbone. The second one was right below his chest—it was a miracle it didn't go through a lung, but she didn't tell him that. Both were definitely infected and disgusting looking; it looked like he had tried to dig out the bullet in the one in his shoulder with a knife. At least he was smart enough not to attack the other one, since it was probably dangerously close to his lung.

She wiped at the wounds, not gently, with the disinfectant. She grabbed a towel and wiped off the dried blood to get a better look at the bullet holes: not pretty.

"You need to lie down," she told him.

He obliged and she cleared away some of the limbs and branches.

"How did you manage to live on your own out in the jungle?" she asked as she continued to clean up the mess with the disinfectant.

"No one ever shot me in the jungle," he said in a tight voice.

"What about those scars on your neck?"

He lifted his good arm to rub them thoughtfully, "That was difficult."

"What was it?"

"Nykoraptor," he said with a devilish grin. "Tried to bite my head off."

Skye raised her eyebrows at the amusement in his voice.

He put his hand behind his neck and appeared quite comfortable with her tending to his bare chest. His bare and well-defined upper body. Skye would have been impressed if she wasn't disgusted.

"Ok, I don't really know how this works," she admitted, pulling the extractor out. "I've never used one."

"You can figure it out," he said.

She turned the device on and ran it over the wounds. It made a low frequency noise and she pressed the button on the side. Lucas gasped in pain as one of the bullets shot out of the wound like the device was magnetic.

"That h—" he started to say but was cut off as she ran the device over the second wound. This one must have hurt him even more because he cried out as the bullet was pulled out.

"Didn't see any anesthetic," she said with a smile as he tried to take even breaths.

"Didn't want any," he managed to choke out.

"Figured you wouldn't," she said sweetly, patting is face.

He reached up to grab her hand and hold it to his face longer. His eyes met hers and held them just as firmly has his hand. Skye's stomach twisted and she pulled her hand out of his grasp.

"I have to close up the wounds," she said, pulling out the medical sealant spray she had used on her cut hand. She sprayed it on the two holes and watched as the skin began to pull together before her eyes.

"It won't completely heal the wounds," she told him, putting everything back in her bag. "Just the top layer to keep infection out."

She gave him a roll of gauze and the disinfectant spray, "In case you somehow manage to cut them open again."

He looked at her with a tenderness in his eyes that made her uncomfortable. It was a look that she was pretty sure he only gave to her, and only when they were alone. No one ever looked at her that way, not even Josh. It was like she was the only thing in the entire jungle, and he was happy about that.

"Don't leave me," he said, reaching up to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"I have people expecting me," she said slowly. "If I don't come back, they will know something is wrong."

"Is it that Josh boy?" he asked with a disgusted look on his face.

"Yeah," she said defensively. "It is."

"You're too good for him," Lucas told her.

"But not too good for you?" she asked harshly.

Lucas looked away, "No, you're too good for me, too."

They were both silent a moment. Skye could tell the sun was beginning to fall into the horizon and soon it would be night.

"I have to go," she said, standing up and wiping the dirt off here khakis.

Lucas carefully sat up and started to put his shirt back on.

"When will you be back?" he asked as he shrugged his shirt on.

"I won't," Skye said.

He stood up and she took a step back to put more of a distance between them.

"I'll let you know when I need you next," he told her solemnly.

"I'm not going to spy for you!" she shouted furiously.

He put a hand against her shoulder as if to comfort her, but it only made her more uneasy.

"I don't want you to spy, bucket," he said. "I just need a few things every once in a while."

"I won't help you destroy Terra Nova again."

He shrugged, "Fine, I'll kill your boyfriend then."

He started to pull out the communicator from his pocket. Skye thought he was just bluffing, but she still fidgeted as his lifted to his mouth with his eyes on her.

"This is Raptor, do you read?" he said into the device.

The voice that came back was a man's voice. Skye began to panic.

"Shoot the kid," Lucas said unemotionally.

"No!" Skye screamed, running to knock the device from his hand. "I'll do it! I'll do it!"

"Nevermind," Lucas said into the comm with a satisfied expression.

He slid the comm back into his pocket and surveyed her.

"We got a deal?" he said, echoing her words from when she had saved Josh's life the first time.

She nodded, her heart beating incredibly fast, "Fine."


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: **Just got finished reading Chaotic-Theoretician's update on "The Traitor and the Pariah"...whew. That was some intense and amazing stuff. (If you aren't reading the story, do it NOW!) I can't wait until I get to some steamy makeout sessions with these two. ;)

One other thing: I really don't like Josh. He is annoying and immature most of the time, but I am trying to write him how Skye would see him. I just want you all to know that I do not-I repeat, **_do not_**-think these two should end up as a couple. Okay, rant over.

Now I want to thank some of my reviewers!

_geranium08_-Yes, I definitely plan on them getting together eventually. It is going to take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, but they will discover that they should at least give a good try.

_ujemaima_- Lucas is extremely unpredictable and naughty, which is why we all love him. I foresee some more surprises in his future. :D Thanks for the comment on the pace; I am glad to hear that it isn't going too slow. I just really want to take some time to develop the characters more.

_fanficaddict100_-Thank you! I really appreciate the encouragement!

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><p>Dinner with the Shannon family was nice, despite Skye being completely exhausted and distracted. They talked about the rebuilding of the colony and what could be out in the Badlands. Skye wanted to put her hands over her ears so that she couldn't hear any information that could be passed to Lucas if he asked.<p>

After dinner Josh invited her to take a walk around the colony and she was glad to join him. He had been quiet during dinner, but no one had pressed him to talk. It was chilly outside and Skye involuntarily wondered how Lucas was staying warm without a jacket or blankets. She shook her head to clear it of the thought. It made her furious that he wormed his way into her thoughts even when he wasn't around.

"Is everything alright?"

"Huh?" Skye remembered that she was with another human being. "Oh, yeah, sorry. Just thinking."

He nodded his head but didn't say anything. Skye could tell he desperately needed to talk about Kara. She led him to a bench away from the main road so they wouldn't be interrupted by anyone.

"How are you doing, Josh?" she asked in a quiet voice as they sat down.

He put his head in his hands and leaned forward on his knees. He looked so vulnerable and helpless Skye immediately felt guilty for not having talked to him sooner.

"I just try so hard not to think about it," he mumbled through his hands. "If I forget that it happened, I can pretend that she is still back in 2149…"

Skye put her arm around him comfortingly, "But you can't live in a pretend world. It happened, Josh, and the only way you'll ever be able to get over it is to deal with it first."

He looked up at her, "I just can't imagine ever being able to move on. I don't know if I can deal with it."

Skye grabbed her chin with a hand and looked him directly in the eye.

"I know you, Josh Shannon, and you are strong enough. I may not have known Kara, but I know that if she loved you, she wouldn't want you to mourn her forever. You have to deal with the pain and someday you'll feel happiness again."

Josh leaned in to her and sobbed against her chest. She stroked his hair and his back and whispered that he would be okay again someday. She knew that it didn't mean much to him right then, but he would be able to move on someday.

She and Josh talked through most of the night, until the sun was beginning to light the sky. She walked him home when it seemed he had cried and talked out a great deal of his bottled up pain.

He gave her a long hug before going inside, "I don't know what I'd do without you, Skye. I love you."

Skye knew he meant it just as friends, and said it only because he had just lost his girlfriend, but she appreciated it all the same.

"I love you too, Josh."

She could barely keep her eyes open as she walked back to her house. And when she finally collapsed on her bed, the sun nearly up, thoughts of Josh weren't the last thing on her mind. No, it was the memory of Lucas' eyes as he held her hand against his face. So wistful and forlorn, like he wanted her to never leave him.

Skye didn't hear from Lucas for at least a week. She had returned to her normal schedule for the most part, though she was a little more paranoid than usual. Josh was smiling more and more and she was happy to see a little less pain on his face each day. The colony was making great strides in its rebuilding and she didn't hear any new updates about whatever was in the Badlands, to her relief.

She had resumed her relationship with Commander Taylor, who needed comfort after the loss of Lieutenant Washington. Though the man would never admit it, Skye suspected he was sweet on her. The colony had held a funeral for the great woman shortly after Lucas' crew left Terra Nova, and it was one of the saddest funerals Skye had ever attended. Wash had left a big mark on the colony, and no one would ever forget her.

Commander Taylor mentioned Lucas to her for the first time a day after Skye's last meeting with the crazy man.

"Shannon told me Lucas acted different around you."

Skye didn't know what to say. They had been playing chess and he brought it up out of the blue.

"I guess so—he said we were like brother and sister."

The Commander looked at her sideways; they both knew that that wasn't how Lucas had treated her.

"I'm sorry you had to be the one to shoot him," Taylor said gruffly.

Skye took his hand tightly, surprising both of them, "I'd do it again, Commander. For you."

As she spoke the words she knew they were true. As terrified as she had been thinking she had killed Lucas Taylor, she would have been devastated if she had lost the Commander.

But a week after her last encounter with Lucas she discovered a note taped to her bedroom window. She scrambled outside in her night clothes to rip it down before anyone noticed it.

It said only one word: Today.

She bit her lip. She didn't want to deal with the maniac again so soon. He was up and down and just plain volatile. Though, if she were telling the truth, she was surprised that it had taken him so long to contact her again.

"Hunter," she told her roommate who was eating breakfast in the kitchen. "I'm going to go check on the moonshine today. Want to come?"

She was absolutely positive he wouldn't want to go with her, making it a perfect excuse. He grimaced and muttered something incoherent but still rude. She forced a laugh and went to change into some clothes.

Lucas looked elated to see her.

"How is my bucket doing?" he asked with a wide smile.

She looked at him apprehensively, "Would've been better if I didn't have to cancel all my plans to come out here."

Lucas' grin turned sour, "Plans with the Shannon boy?"

She shrugged, "Why does it matter?"

"I'm just watching out for my sweet little sister," Lucas said, caressing her cheek like he loved to do. "And I don't like that boy."

"Too bad," Skye said angrily. "Because I do."

Lucas glared at her.

"And as my brother," she continued sweetly. "You just have to trust my judgment."

"My moles told me you have been spending a lot of time with him," he said in an accusatory voice.

"Yeah, I have. He just lost his girlfriend because of _you_."

Lucas didn't look concerned, "She made a sacrifice for a cause bigger than her."

"Because you're mad at your daddy?" Skye snarled.

Lucas grabbed her shoulder hard and yanked her closer to him.

"Don't you _ever_ talk to me that way," he breathed, clearly restraining himself from screaming or hitting her.

"You've done so much wrong," Skye told him fearlessly. "And you don't even care. You disgust me."

Lucas stepped back and spread his arms out, laughing.

"I've done so much right," he yelled to the jungle around them. "And you helped me."

"And that is the reason you treat me differently," Skye realized aloud. "Because you associate your success with me, because I helped you."

Lucas was on her in a second, pressing his forehead against hers tenderly, "Don't think that, bucket. Don't think that."

Skye couldn't breathe with him so close to her. His face was rough against hers, since he hadn't shaved for weeks, but his touch was so gentle and sweet, like how she had always imagined Josh would hold her right before kissing her.

"Don't do that," Skye said, trying to push him away.

He stepped back reluctantly and went to a tree to sit down next to it.

"Sit," he ordered her, motion to a tree next to his. "We have lots to talk about."

Skye went over to the tree, watching him the entire time. She wasn't sure where the gun he now had was, but she assumed it was on his somewhere. She sat down on the ground, pushing away a few bugs.

"Tell me about my father," Lucas said. Skye was surprised he didn't reference the man as their father, but she didn't bring it up.

"What about him?" Skye asked hesitantly.

"Has he said anything about me?"

Skye could see the little boy desperate for the attention of his father; she wondered how things could have been different if Commander Taylor and Lucas had just had a better relationship. Would the Sixers even still exist?

"Only once," Skye said uncomfortably. "He asked me why you treated me…differently."

"And what did you tell him?" Lucas asked with a roguish grin.

"I said that you thought of me as a sister, since Commander Taylor and I are so close," Skye answered, looking down at her fingernails.

"And did you tell him about how you saved little Josh Shannon? About how you offered yourself to your _brother_?"

Skye could feel his hot gaze on her and she blushed.

"Of course not," she said quietly, feeling ashamed.

"What else did he say?" Lucas asked eagerly.

"Just that he was sorry I had to shoot you," Skye said louder.

"Old man, he probably wished he had been able to do it himself," Lucas said bitterly.

Lucas truly believed that his father hated him, but Skye knew better. She could hear them talking when she was running to reach them; she heard the Commander forgive his son, despite all the evil the boy had inflicted on the colony, on the world. And Lucas had stabbed him for his mercy.

"And I told him I wasn't sorry," Skye said defiantly, watching as Lucas' expression turned from shock to hurt to fury.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: **Sorry it took me a few days to update. I got a MAJOR virus on my computer that pretty much destroyed everything...lots of panic, tears, screaming, and hair pulling. It took two days straight of work, but I finally got all my files back. *whew*

Anyway, thanks for the great reviews! I wanted to reply to some directly, but I don't have time to do it right now. I just wanted to finish typing up this chapter before I had to go to work, and I have about five minutes to spare. :)

Hope you enjoy this-I know I really enjoyed writing it. Finally some action, but probably not the kind you _really_ want. ;)

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><p>Lucas' face settled on fury, but his voice was a deadly calm, "What do you mean you aren't sorry?"<p>

Skye didn't look away or let any emotion show on her face; she would not appear weak in front of him.

"I mean that I would do it again," she said coldly.

"Really?" Lucas said, pulling the gun out from behind his back. "I'd like to see that."

To Skye's astonishment, he handed her the gun and stepped back with his hands stretched out wide.

"Go ahead," he said, his lip curling. "Shoot me."

Skye fumbled with the piece of machinery, her hands shaking. She didn't know what to do—she should kill him, she knew that. He had killed over twenty people in Terra Nova, and probably countless more that she didn't know about. Then again, he hadn't killed them directly, it was the Phoenix group that did that, who he had allowed to invade Terra Nova.

Skye raised the gun, her hands shaking unbearably. Why did it have to be so hard? She had shot him twice already, thinking she would kill him, so why was this time so impossible? Perhaps it was because he was defenseless, just standing there daring her to shoot him.

She should kill him. It would be protecting Terra Nova and the future of her friends and family. She steeled herself for the ricochet of the gun—but she couldn't do it. She couldn't kill him while he was merely standing there watching her, watching her with eyes that showed complete trust in the girl standing in front of him.

She lowered the gun, hating herself as she threw it on the ground.

"I can't do it," she whispered, the back of her throat constricting tightly.

He smiled at her and lowered his hands. "I didn't think so."

It wasn't mean or contemptuous, just a statement of fact, but Skye felt so disappointed in herself. She had a chance to make everything better, but she couldn't do it. She wasn't strong like Commander Taylor. She looked down at her shoes, trying to hold back tears. How could she go back to the colony and face them now?

"Skye, look at me," he said softly.

She shook her head. "I'm leaving now."

She turned to go and heard a noise right above her head. It was the sound of rustling of wings against tree branches. She looked up just in time to a great pterosaur rapidly descending towards her. She had barely registered Lucas' warning shout when the pterosaur reached her and suddenly its bottom feet claws into her shoulder. She was ripped up about a foot off the ground, held up like a coat on a rack.

She gasped in surprise and pain. She could feel the claws sticking out her back, but she was frozen in fear. She heard Lucas shouting behind her, probably telling her to try to break free, but she just stood there, helpless. The pterosaur lifted its wings to take flight, probably taking her somewhere to feed her to its young, but there was a loud noise from behind Skye and the pterosaur was flung back with an angry screech. Skye fell forward with it, but the claws slid from her shoulder and she collapsed to the ground.

There was another shot and the bird took flight with an angry screech. Skye looked over at Lucas to see him holding the gun, aimed towards the pterosaur. He saw Skye lying on the ground and rushed to her, examining her wounds.

"You're going to be ok," he said anxiously, more to himself than to her. "I don't think it punctured anything important. Do you feel alright?"

He was staring down at her with wide eyes full of fear. She just blinked up at him, still in shock.

"I don't know," she said truthfully. The irony that she had been impaled in the same exact spot she had shot Lucas wasn't lost on her. She could feel the blood soaking through her shirt. That seemed to ground her and she snapped into medic mode.

"We need to stop the bleeding," she told Lucas. "Or I could bleed out. Do you still have those medical supplies I brought you?"

He nodded his head and ran out of her vision. She desperately hoped he would return and not just leave her as a meal for whichever dinosaur that came next. How did that pterosaur even fit through the trees, she wondered idly.

Skye wasn't sure how much time had passed when Lucas came back with what looked like a handmade bag. He looked more calm and composed now, for which Skye was thankful. She didn't want an unstable Lucas tending to her injuries. Not that she would have really minded at that moment anyway, since everything was beginning to look blurry and way too bright.

"I don't have any more of the sealant," he said evenly, wiping at her shoulder with the disinfectant. Somewhere in the back of her mind she registered that the medicine stung.

"That's ok," she mumbled drowsily.

Lucas shifted his gaze from her shoulder to her face, "Don't pass out."

She laid her head on the ground away from her shoulder and sighed, "Karma's a bitch."

He pulled her face back to his just as everything was fading in her vision, "Skye, look at me…"

She passed out.

She drifted in and out of consciousness lazily, never actually waking. She was aware that she was moving, slowly and gently, but she couldn't bring herself to ever open her eyes. Sometimes she felt someone holding her face or whispering to her, telling her she would be ok soon, just wait a bit longer. She was pretty sure she even felt lips pressing against her forehead once.

When she wasn't conscious, dreams full of craziness and insanity plagued her. If she was thinking properly, she would have known that they were brought by the fever, but the thought never occurred to her. Most of the dreams included Lucas in some fashion, and some would later bring a blush to her face when she thought of them, but in most he was sweet and kind. He wasn't the dangerous psychopath she had come to know in any of the dreams, though.

She woke up coughing, her throat dry and painful.

Lucas was at her side with a cup, "Drink this."

She took it immediately without thought. It was cool and refreshing, but almost excruciating as it relieved her throat of the dryness. She coughed more and each breath brought a wave of pain from her shoulder.

"How are you feeling?"

She looked up at a concerned Lucas, "I've been better."

Her voice didn't sound like her at all. It was rough and hoarse, like she had swallowed sand and coated her entire throat with it.

His expression didn't change. He reached behind him and Skye became aware of their surroundings: they weren't in the clearing anymore, but what looked like a rough treehouse, similar to what the Sixers had used.

"Where are we?" she asked hoarsely, looking around. It wasn't very big, or nicely constructed, but it had a floor and walls made of tree limbs and a piece of material as a roof. It wrapped around the trunk of a very smooth looking tree.

"One of my homes," he said absentmindedly, turning back to her with a bowl of a thick, green paste. He put it against her shoulder and she winced. The coolness of the mixture was a shock against the hot, feverish skin. She looked down at her shoulder and her stomach turned. It didn't look pretty, much worse than Lucas' wounds had been even. Probably because a bullet was much cleaner than the talons of a pterosaur.

"Have you disinfected it enough?" she asked, inspecting the swelling around the three holes.

"I used up what you gave me," he said a little defensively. "I made a tincture that will work a lot better."

She looked away from the wounds. The mixture seemed to be helping in relieving some of the pain, to her great surprise.

"Where are we?" she asked again.

"I told you," he said irritably. "One of the outposts I made."

"I realize that—I mean, where are we in relation to Terra Nova?"

Lucas took a deep breath, now dressing her shoulder, "Far away, that's all that matters."

"Are we in the Badlands?" she asked, trying to remain calm.

He jerked his head up and pulled the gauze a little too tightly, "How do you know about the Badlands?"

"Commander Taylor told me that was where the Phoenix group went," she said.

Lucas' eyes darkened when she mentioned his father, as always. Skye nearly rolled her eyes. Why couldn't the boy just forgive his father already? Commander Taylor had forgiven Lucas for so much more.

Lucas shook his head, "No, we aren't in the Badlands."

"How long have I been out?" Skye asked, trying to get an idea of how long they had travelled.

"Four days," he told her, finishing the wrapping of her shoulder.

Her eyes widened, "_Four_ days?"

"I gave you something to knock you out," he said casually.

"What?" she demanded angrily.

"You were in a lot of pain," he said harshly. "It was better for you if you could sleep until the healing began."

"So you _drugged_ me and _kidnapped_ me?" she asked incredulously.

He immediately turned angry, throwing the rest of the gauze against the wall and jumping up.

"I _helped_ you and carried you for _four_ days until I could find this plant," he yelled, throwing a handful of leaves at her.

She flinched, which brought a fresh wave of pain from her shoulder.

He rubbed his eyebrow with his finger and then pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why can't you just appreciate what I did for you?"

"Thank you," Skye said grudgingly. While she did appreciate that he saved her life, and there was no doubt that she would have died without his help, it was his fault that she was attacked in the first place. Besides, he owed her for her helping to heal him first.

Lucas sat back down after a few seconds and leaned over her. Skye suddenly realized that she was only wearing her bra, with one strap pulled down. Thankfully she had a rough blanket covering the majority of her chest. She pulled it up to her chin, covering all exposed flesh.

"How'd you even get me up a tree?" she asked abruptly.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN**: This is super short, and I'm super sorry. I know it's been like _FOREVER_ (four days!) since my last chapter. So, please take my sincere apologies. I really want to try and update at least once a day, so let's keep our fingers crossed. But, at least there is a little bit of excitement at the end...

**_Miss Junie_**, thanks for all the great feedback! The specific reviews are extremely helpful. :)

And, to all of my reviewers: Thanks so much for taking the time to comment. It means a lot to me.

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><p>It turned out that he had attached a plank of sorts to a pulley system that one could pull up heavy objects, or unconscious hostages. Lucas let her leave the treehouse as soon as her fever had faded away completely; he lowered her down on the board, hardly pained by his shoulder anymore. Skye didn't think it was very fair that he was almost completely healed now.<p>

She looked around the jungle: none of it looked even remotely familiar. There was much flora that she had never seen around Terra Nova before, meaning they had to be a great distance away from her home. But, of course they wouldn't be anywhere close if this was one of the spots Lucas lived. Surely Commander Taylor had searched high and low for his son after their estrangement, and _he_ had never found Lucas.

It was a good spot, she had to admit. It was close enough to a light stream that Lucas could carry water from, but it wasn't quite big enough to attract many predators. There were also plenty of fruit bearing plants around the area, and the medicinal plant that Lucas made her salve from. That tincture was incredibly helpful in relieving the pain and healing the wounds.

"What did you do out here?" Skye asked as soon as Lucas had climbed down the tree from a crude ladder made from tough vines.

He didn't answer so she went on, "Didn't you get bored?"

He looked at her strangely, "I was working on my calculations."

Her eyebrows furrowed, "_All_ the time?"

She couldn't imagine devoting all her time and concentration on one single thing for so many years. Then again, Lucas was so consumed with his desire to "beat his father," whatever that meant to the strange boy, he probably never even noticed the passing time.

"I travelled around the jungle," he said after a short time of silence. "Discovered things you and the rest of the colonists don't even know exist."

"Like the Badlands?" she asked.

He shook his head noncommittally, "Yeah, I went to the Badlands briefly."

Skye's muscles were sore and tight after days of unused, so she walked around the clearing slowly for a few minutes and stretched, careful not to pull at her wounds and reopen them.

"Come on," Lucas said, tucking a long, dangerous knife into the bands of his pants.

"Where are we going?" Skye asked, not even remotely worried that he was going to drag her far away and stab her to death.

"I'm tired of fruit and grass," he said, reaching out and grabbing her hand on her good side to pull her with him. "I want some meat."

She tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he was unrelenting. "We're going hunting?"

His eyes glittered tauntingly, "What, never killed something before? Don't tell me I was your first."

"Of course I've killed things before," she spat. "It isn't like we've developed Slasher repellant. Besides, you're not dead, _obviously_."

"Lucky you."

"Though it isn't from lack of trying on my part," Skye muttered resentfully. She knew he had heard her by his hand tightening around hers uncomfortably.

They trudged in silence, Lucas leading the way and pushing limbs and vines out of his way, careful to let Skye pass through them before he let them snap back into place. Skye tried to make as clear as a path as possible, though she was pretty certain it was futile; Commander Taylor had too much to do to look for one girl that snuck out on her own freewill and was a known spy, even if he was attached to her. The colony would probably conduct a small search around the perimeter, and then assume she had been attacked and dragged off by a carno. Part of her was terrified that no one would be coming for her, but the other part was relieved—she didn't want to put anyone in any danger. Then again, she needed to tell Taylor that there were several spies within Terra Nova; surely he suspected it, though? A thought came to Skye.

"Why did you ask me if your father had mentioned you?" she asked as they pushed their way through tangles; apparently this was an old outpost of Lucas'.

"Huh?" His mind had clearly travelled far away from the two of them, probably to some plan involving the demise of Commander Taylor.

"A few days ago, you asked if your father had asked me about you. But that woman at the market said you had surveillance on your father, so how did you not already know what your father said?" she asked in a rush, her mind whirling.

He stopped walking and looked at her intently. She had interrupted something very important in that complex brain of his; his look was still far away, even as he seemed to mentally solve whatever equation she posed.

"They don't have surveillance on every spot," he said in a distracted voice. "Just key areas. It isn't easy to sneak in that kind of equipment."

She saved the information for if she ever made it back to Terra Nova. They had been on the balcony outside Taylor's hut, where they liked to play chess or just talk about what was going on in Terra Nova.

Skye desperately wanted to ask if he had heard anything about her disappearance—did the Commander think she had betrayed him again? She hoped he would know better. She loved him like a father and hated disappointing him, even when she had done it to save her mother. And Josh, how was Josh taking it so soon after losing his girlfriend? She couldn't restrain herself.

"How is the colony doing?" she asked timidly.

The distraction evaporated from Lucas' eyes in less than a second. Instantly he was alert and angry, but she had expected that.

"You want to know how they are making it without you?" he sneered. Skye wondered if he checked up on Terra Nova after his banishment; she knew he had to, if only to make sure his father was still suffering.

"I just want to know that my family and friends are alright," she said, holding back her urge to yell at him or be rude. He had information that she wanted, so she had to tread carefully.

"Your mother is doing better; your roommate, Tasha, got a promotion; the almighty Commander is worried about you," he said bitterly.

"And Josh Shannon?" she asked cautiously. She barely caught the flash in his eyes at the mention of the boy's name, but it was there.

"The Shannon kid is alive and well, thanks to you." Lucas said in a disappointed voice. "But also pretty upset, thanks to you."

Her heart sank at the thought of causing her friend more grief. He had been through so much lately: his father going to prison, leaving his home, betraying his family, his girlfriend dying, and now losing his friend. And he had just started to feel better…tears came to Skye's eyes and she tried hard to hide them.

Lucas noticed them and his gaze softened, "What's wrong, bucket?"

She shook her head, "Nothing. Let's keep going."

Lucas wasn't buying it. He took two steps towards her until he was right in front of her, his hands cupping her face tenderly.

"Tell me what's wrong."

She refused to look at him, instead she looked at a particularly gnarled tree trunk to her right.

"Is it the Shannon kid? What do you see in him?" he asked, frustration entering his voice.

Skye looked up furiously, "I _love_ him. Do you even know what that is?"

His lips came crashing down against her and he pushed her back roughly until her back hit the same gnarled tree trunk she had been staring at. Her shoulder screamed in pain, but she hardly noticed it. His lips were forceful and demanding, his teeth cutting her lips. She could taste the blood in her mouth, coppery and metallic, a taste she had come to know very well lately. She tried to push him away, but he was much stronger than her, even if she had use of both arms.

When he finally stopped his assault, he rested his forehead against hers, breath heavy. She was too, but she had a feeling that it was for a different reason.

"Yeah," he said, closing his eyes, his breath warming her face. "I know what it is."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN**: I feel like this chapter is all over the place, but I got in some really important stuff that I've been thinking about for awhile. I was planning on saving it for a later chapter, but it felt right here. Hopefully you guys like it! :)

_**miaparker**_: Welcome! Thanks for stopping by to read! I know what you mean about getting distracted from studying...happens to me all the time. At least as a creative writing major, I have an excuse to read and write. ;)

_**flimmer**_: Already I break my resolution. Ack. Well, I tried to make this one a little longer to make up for not having it up yesterday. I got called in to work an extra shift, so I didn't have a chance to upload.

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><p>Skye watched him warily as he stood in the middle of a stream, his hands held motionless in the water, waiting for something edible to come swimming towards them. Skye had to admit she was hungry for something with meat, but she was reluctant to accept anything from Lucas. Her lips were sore and swollen from his attack on them, and every time he looked at her she could see his eyes darken from something other than anger. It scared her and confused her. After all that she had done—playing him and then shooting him—he still wanted her. Only a madman would be such a masochist.<p>

Her tongue ran over the cut on her lip and she shivered. The last time she had kissed anyone was with Josh, and it hadn't been like _that_. In fact, she didn't think she had ever been kissed like that. Not that she had heaps of experience: there weren't a ton of viable options in Terra Nova, and very few of those she was interested in. Josh was the first guy she had ever really considered that way, and he didn't reciprocate the feelings.

_And did he mean he loved her?_

Lucas suddenly thrust his hands down and pulled out a thrashing creature, about the size of her thigh, which was frantically trying to fight free. He threw it to the bank, where it landed with a flop, and splashed through the water to swiftly cut its head off with a knife. He looked up at to where she stood a few feet away from the creature and grinned triumphantly.

"Hungry?" he asked.

She crossed her hands over her stomach, glaring at him. He didn't say anything else as he proceeded to clean the fish. He had built a fire before getting into the stream. He said he didn't cook anything near the house in the tree in case the scent attracted predators. Skye couldn't help but compare him to his father, who he resembled greatly. Of course she didn't point this out to him; if she did, he would probably cut her head off just like the strange fish.

He impaled the fish on a wooden spear and laid it over the fire.

"It won't take very long," he said, sitting down next to the fire to dry his soaking clothes.

After a few minutes, Skye sat down across from Lucas. While the fire between them provided some comfort, she wasn't positive it would be enough of a buffer. The smell of the cooking fish was making her stomach growl loudly.

"How is your shoulder feeling?" he asked, not looking at her.

"Sore," she groused. "Yours?"

His lips lifted amusedly and he rotated his shoulder without hesitation, "Perfect. I guess carrying you for four days really helped."

Skye frowned. There was a crunch from the jungle behind them and she jumped, frantically looking around them to see what had made the noise. She didn't want to encounter any more of the pterosaur that had attacked her.

Lucas cocked his ear towards where the sound had come from.

"Passed on," he said, returning his attention to the fish over the fire. Skye wasn't so easily assuaged; she looked back at every sound or rustle of wind.

"You know, you aren't armed," Lucas commented after a few minutes. Skye snapped her attention back to him and glared: of course she wasn't armed—hostages weren't usually given weapons.

"So if anything was to jump out of those bushes," he continued, pointing to the brush behind her with a knife he had been sharpening against a smooth rock. "You wouldn't be able to protect yourself. And I probably wouldn't be able to reach you before it dragged you off to its family."

She didn't say anything, though his words made sense.

"Plus, it is safer to sit with your back to the water. Predators have a more difficult time sneaking through water."

Skye slowly and grudgingly got up and went to sit beside him, still keeping at least a foot of distance between them, not that it would really matter. There could be a mile between them and Lucas would still find a way to run his hands over her skin.

"There are only a few more hours of light left," Skye pointed out, looking up at the sky.

"We aren't going back tonight," Lucas shrugged, pulling the smoking fish off the fire.

"What?"

"Makes more sense to catch a few fish and cook them here," Lucas said, using the side of his knife to slide the fish off the stick. "Besides, I want plenty of time to make it back."

Skye took a deep breath, trying to swallow her anger and annoyance, and her fear. Not that she would ever admit to him, but she was scared to sleep outside with no protection from all the crawlies in the night. She could just imagine waking to find a Slasher looming over her.

"And where are we supposed to sleep?" she asked. "You have another treehouse somewhere?"

He handed her a chunk of the meat, "No, but I know a spot that will work. Just about an hour walk from here."

As soon as she had the meat in her hands, it was all she could do from stuffing it in her mouth all at once. Not that her diet in the colony contained a lot of meat on a regular basis, but her body needed the extra protein to help in the healing of her shoulder. She bit off pieces of the fish greedily, holding back her groan of appreciation. It didn't have a whole lot of taste, but she didn't mind; it was the best thing she had ever eaten.

After they had finished their meal, Lucas caught three more fish and cooked them over the fire. He told Skye to go find a certain kind of leaf that was big enough to wrap the fish in and would also flavor it. She was shocked that he would let her walk away from him so easily, but she knew she didn't have a chance if she tried to run. She was wounded and didn't have a clue which direction to go back towards Terra Nova. She could try to follow Lucas' tracks back, but she was hopeless at tracking and she didn't know what else could have crossed the path, creating its own. She would easily get lost, and even though she had plenty of survival training with Lieutenant Wash, she doubted she would last very long on her own. So she walked the banks of the stream, now widening to a river, searching for the tree Lucas had described to her. She felt very naked without a weapon to protect her, but Lucas had assured her that she could jump into the river and out-swim a dinosaur or pterosaur if necessary.

She located the tree after about thirty minutes of walking. The tree was spectacular looking—one of the largest she had ever seen, with leaves almost as long as she was tall. She grabbed an armful of the gigantic leaves; if it rained that night, they could sleep under one of them. It would also be an extra level of protection.

She hurried back to Lucas. The sun was starting to set and she didn't want to be left alone without a weapon. She was nervous even being in unfamiliar land _with_ a weapon. Lucas was just finishing the fish when she returned and he carefully wrapped up the cooked pieces in the leaves and put them in his pack.

"Let's go," he said, kicking dirt over the fire. He led her through the stream, which was freezing cold, and into the dense jungle where the setting sun barely reached.

Skye wanted to point out that they were going even further away from his house, which seemed contradictory, but she knew this would just annoy him. Of course he would know they were heading away from the direction they came, so he must have a reason for it.

They walked in silence for the most part. Skye stumbled once and caught her elbow, asking in a quiet voice if she was ok. She flushed in embarrassment—she wasn't clumsy and she didn't need anyone taking care of her—but she said she was fine and they continued on. She knew Lucas was listening intently for any sounds of creatures sneaking up on them. She didn't hear anything, but he would be more experienced from years of living out in the jungle.

"Did you live with the Sixers?"

He looked back at her briefly, not slowing his pace. "No. I just visit occasionally, checking to make sure they haven't done anything stupid."

She could hear the sourness in his voice. "You don't like the Sixers?"

He shrugged, his back still facing her. "They are just a means to an end."

"How could you ever want to go back to 2149?" she asked. The question had been bugging her ever since she had met Lucas. She could understand Mira's reasoning: someone was using her daughter as leverage in 2149, it made sense that she would do whatever it would take to get back to her daughter. But Lucas? How could he possibly want to go back to that filthy future, where one would have to live in a _plastic bubble_ if they wanted to live?

He was silent a few minutes and Skye had almost decided that he wasn't going to answer her, but then his quiet response came.

"This time and place belongs to my father," he said resentfully. "I refuse to live somewhere that is his."

"Terra Nova isn't about your father," Skye said, her voice raised. "It isn't about any one person. It is about second chances, about starting a new life. Why can't you see that?"

Lucas halted and whirled to look at her with unsteadiness in his eyes.

"His little speeches? Lies!" he yelled, the noise causing a few birds in the canopy to fly off. "Don't think for one moment that Terra Nova isn't about him being in control."

Skye wanted to shout at him, shake him, do anything to make him see reason, but she knew that words were the only thing that he would understand.

"Commander Taylor would give up everything for us," she said, putting her hands on her hips. "Just like he gave up everything for you."

Some of the anger drained from Lucas and was replaced with shock.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked in a shaken voice.

"Your father loves you, despite everything you've done," she said grimly. "You even killed Lieutenant Washington, the closest friend he had. You shot her while he watched, I saw it. You shot her while she stood there helpless, and you didn't feel any remorse. You are a monster, and still your father forgave you. You say he isn't a god? Only a god could forgive someone like you."

Lucas' jaw twitched, but he couldn't say anything. He turned on his heel and kept walking. The jungle was starting to thin and she could tell they were nearly at their destination, but she wasn't done talking. She continued on mercilessly.

"Mark Reynolds told me that he tried to kill himself when he had lost his memory due to a virus when he found out your mother was dead," she yelled loud enough so he could hear her as she stormed behind him. "He loved Iyanni so much, he couldn't bear to live without her, but he still chose _you_ over her in Somalia. Why do you think that is, Lucas? You're a genius, surely you can figure it out."

Lucas' shoulders were tense and she could see his fists balled up. She was close to crossing the line, but she refused to give up. He could hit her or even kill her, but she was going to make him see the truth.

"Because he loves you more, Lucas! He loves you—don't you get it?"

They had reached a small clearing near a great sheet of rock. There was a small opening in the side of the cliff, which looked like a small cave.

Lucas slammed his pack onto the ground and looked at her, his eyes burning with fury.

"Stop talking." he said in a deadly quiet voice.

She could tell she was getting close to making him crack.

"You say you hate your father for choosing you over your mother?" she said the words slowly, making sure they sank in properly. "You don't hate him, you hate yourself. You blame yourself for what happened, and you want everyone to feel the pain that you've felt for all this years."

His hand came up immediately and smacked her in the face with a force that knocked all the breath out of her body. It hurt, but she knew her words had hurt him even more.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** There are no words to excuse my behavior. It had been over _20 days_ since my last update! I can't truthfully say what happened...between school and work, time has just flown by. But, please, please, please, find it in your hearts to forgive me.

Also, be sure to tweet that you want a second season on Twitter. I don't remember the exact hashtags and etc., but I am sure you can find it on there. You all seem pretty tech-savvy. ;)

I am planning to update once a week. I only have one night off a week from work, so I don't have a ton of time to write after I finish homework and such. There will probably be times that I am able to update more, but I can't make any promises. As usual, thank you for your spectacular reviews and thank you for reading!

_REELOUPASREEL_: Thank you for reading! I am super jealous that you are bilingual enough to read a story in English; I hope to someday be proficient in several languages. You are more than welcome to translate the story for other French readers.

* * *

><p>They were both completely silent and the only sound seemed to be the echo of the smack. Skye's hand came up to feel the spot that felt like fire. She wasn't really angry—she knew what would happen if she kept pushing—but it didn't make the strike any less painful.<p>

Lucas looked stricken. For once, it seemed like he had stopped thinking completely. His hand was still halfway raised, as if to protect himself from whatever she was planning to do in retaliation.

It was the second time she had one-upped him, and she relished the moment just as she did when she had lead him into an ambush. Only this time she wasn't going to let him slip away while she was distracted.

"I guess that just proves my point," she said, her voice sounding like a battle cry in the quiet clearing.

Her words seemed to be the key; he came to life again, his eyes wild with fear and anguish and despair. She imagined a robot coming back to life after someone had ripped out a bunch of wires.

"H—how dare you—" he sputtered. "Never—never—mother—again."

Spit was shooting out with each word and Skye stepped to the side to get out of the target zone. She had never seen him so unraveled before, not even when fighting with his father. He was unpredictable and dangerous.

She crossed her arms over her chest, "That's the problem, Lucas. You refuse to talk about anything."

This seemed to only rile him up more. His face was turning a dark red with all the pressure. He tried to say something, probably a threat, but Skye cut him off, "You and the Commander, jeez. You both are too stubborn and prideful to admit that something is wrong."

Lucas certainly did not appreciate the comparison between his father and himself, "You don't know anything about it!"

"Of course I know about it! I lost my father and almost my mother. You're not the only person to ever lose a parent, Lucas."

"You didn't have to watch as someone tortured your father! Didn't have to stand there and watch while…" he couldn't finish, and Skye didn't want him to describe what had happened.

"No, I didn't have to watch as some_one_ killed my parents. But I was there to watch as a _disease_ killed them for _three weeks_. I sat by their bedside tables and waited everyday for them to take their last breaths." Tears were overflowing down her cheeks, but she couldn't stop. "I comforted them as they coughed and puked blood, as they tried to hold back cries of pain from the fever. I _watched_ as my father died and knew my mother was only hours away. But, no, I guess I wouldn't know anything about what you went through."

He passed a hand over his face and all the anger seemed to pass with it. With jerky movements, he reached forward and pressed Skye into his chest, where she sobbed without restraint. Her emotions had been all over the place in the past twenty-four hours and she couldn't hold in her tears. His arms circled around her tightly and he rested his head against hers. She could feel tears drop from his face also. It was the same exact thing she had done with the Commander after her father had died; he had swept her up and they cried together as he told her everything would be alright. She had been comforted then, just as she was now, strangely enough.

They were just two kids separated from their parents; one dead and one cut off. But where Skye risked her life to be with hers, Lucas was risking his life to kill his.

The moment was short and Lucas pushed her away gently, saying he had to make a fire before it got dark. He started a pile of wood and branches in a spot that looked like it had been used before, a couple of feet away from the cave so that smoke wouldn't drift into it. Skye wiped her face of the tears and helped him. They worked in silence, neither one of them feeling the need to say anything. Skye didn't even want to think; she knew memories of those awful weeks would flood her mind, overwhelming her. She tried so hard to be strong every day, to let nothing bother her, but sometimes she just couldn't do it. Sometimes she needed someone to hug her and tell her everything would be ok, and so did Lucas.

"Are you hungry again?" Lucas asked roughly once they had the fire going.

She shook her head, "No. But I am thirsty."

Lucas handed her the canteen he had filled at the stream and she took a long drink from it. She handed it back to him and he took a quick swig. It was pretty dark and Skye wasn't sure what to do now that the fire had been built up. She sat down against the wall of the cliff and looked up at the stars.

"Why do you go into the jungle at night by yourself?" Lucas asked after a few minutes.

Skye turned her attention away from the stars to him. "Sometimes I just want to be alone."

She could practically see his brain adding the new information into the calculation that was her. She wasn't sure if it would be another unsolved variable, or something that would help reconcile the equation.

"Couldn't you find a spot in Terra Nova?" Lucas' mouth formed the name like it was a curse word.

"It wouldn't be the same," she shrugged, looking back up at the sky. "I need some place to just stop the world and think. I don't want some soldier on patrol to stumble in and start up a conversation. Why would you rather live alone in the jungle than live with the Sixers?"

She looked over to see him shrug. She didn't really need an answer, she already understood.

"I used to miss having someone around," he admitted quietly. "Someone to hunt with or just talk with. And then I remembered that people only ever disappoint."

There was accusation in his voice, directed unswervingly at her.

"Eventually, everyone disappoints you in some way," she said thoughtfully. "But that isn't their fault all the time; maybe some of those times you just have expectations of them that are too high."

She thought about how she was disappointed in Hunter for telling her that he liked her. She had just expected him to regard their relationship just as friends, not as anything romantic. It wasn't his fault that he liked her romantically, but she had always just expected more from him.

"And sometimes those people betray you over and over again," he grumbled, glaring at her.

"And sometimes people threaten people you love, and you'll do anything to stop them," she said unwaveringly. She didn't regret her decisions, not in the slightest. Did she feel bad for shooting him? Maybe. But she would do it again to protect the Commander, like she had told him.

She could tell he wanted an apology from her. Somehow, in that genius of a mind, he just didn't see how he could be in the wrong. But she would never apologize to him, so they were at an impasse.

"Well, I'm tired," she said as she stood up. It was dark and chilly now, so she might as well sleep. He watched her as she went into the cave, but didn't say anything.

She looked around in the semi-darkness of the cave for something to lie on. She supposed she could just fall asleep on the hard ground, but that would be extremely uncomfortable. Her eyes spotted a couple of pieces of material hanging on the wall of the cave. They were thin and worn, but they would better than nothing. There was a pile of what looked like moss or leaves in the back of the cave, like a makeshift bed, but she left that for Lucas. Besides, she figured there would be creatures sleeping in it already, and she didn't like to share.

She scrunched the sheet up for maximum comfort and then lay down on top of it. She remembered the leaves she had grabbed earlier and placed one on top of her, throwing another one over to the bed for Lucas. The leaf nearly covered her completely and after a few minutes, she wasn't as cold. She closed her eyes and drifted off.


End file.
